Suwat Opens Korat Candle Festival 2026 Highlighting Soft Power and UNESCO Triple Heritage
Suwat Liptapanlop chairs the opening of the 2026 Korat Candle Festival, emphasizing sustainable tourism and showcasing creative candle floats featuring Lisa and Moo Deng.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Suwat Liptapanlop presides over the Korat Candle Festival 2026 opening ceremony
- Promotes Korat as a UNESCO triple heritage city combined with local Soft Power
- Features highlight floats including the Lisa candle sculpture and a political satire float with Moo Deng
Suwat Liptapanlop, former Deputy Prime Minister, served as the chairman for the opening ceremony of the Nakhon Ratchasima Candle Festival for the year 2026. The event was attended by numerous distinguished guests, including Tewan Liptapanlop, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister; Watcharapol Tomornsak, MP for Nakhon Ratchasima Constituency 2 from the Pheu Thai Party; and Dr. Wannarat Charnnukul, Mayor of Nakhon Ratchasima Municipality, alongside executive committee members, municipal council members, government officials, private sector representatives, and a large crowd of local residents despite the rainfall.
During his address, Suwat praised the Nakhon Ratchasima Municipality for successfully expanding the scale of the festival, reflecting the deep devotion of Korat residents to Buddhism and local culture. He noted that Korat possesses outstanding Soft Power assets, including the Korat dialect, local cuisine, Korat silk, traditional music, and Korat boxing. Furthermore, the municipality is currently excavating the Non Phon Lan archaeological site, where ancient skeletons, tools, and city wall foundations dating back hundreds of years have been uncovered, with plans to develop the area into an open-air museum around the moat as an educational landmark for visitors.
Developing the Non Phon Lan archaeological site into an open-air museum represents a strategic integration of ancient history and cultural tourism, designed to generate long-term economic value for the local community beyond seasonal festivities.
Suwat further highlighted Nakhon Ratchasima's global standing, noting it is the only province in Thailand and the fourth in the world to be designated as a UNESCO Triple Heritage City, encompassing the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, and the Korat UNESCO Global Geopark. When combined with its robust Soft Power, these natural and cultural assets serve as a strong foundation for sustainable economic, social, and tourism development.
"Modern tourists seek sustainable tourism and wish to experience local lifestyles, cultures, and traditions. These elements represent Nakhon Ratchasima's core competitive advantage."
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The main highlights capturing widespread public attention this year were the "Lisa Candle Float," an intricate wax sculpture created by Wat Bing in Chok Chai District, and the "Prime Minister Anutin Candle Float," which featured a political satire sculpture standing alongside the viral pygmy hippo "Moo Deng." These creative displays brought smiles and excitement to both Thai and international tourists, who flocked to take photographs and kept the Tao Suranaree (Ya Mo) plaza vibrant throughout the night.
The results of the 2026 candle float competition across various categories are as follows:
- Category A: Winner was Wat Mai Sra Pathum in Chok Chai District, 1st runner-up was Wat Bing in Chok Chai District, and 2nd runner-up was Wat Doem in Phimai District.
- Category B: Winner was Wat Sra Pleang in Phimai District, 1st runner-up was Wat Sri Phuttharam (Wat Nai) in Chok Chai District, and 2nd runner-up was Wat Burapaphimon in Phimai District.
- Category C: Winner was Wat Chaeng Nai, 1st runner-up was Ban Samrit School, and 2nd runner-up was Sai Ngam Dhamma Practice Center.
Source: Matichon Politics
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